Madrid, Spain, Apr 18, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The
Spanish newspaper “Alba” has published a report denouncing the
country’s Ministry of Health for distorting the number of abortions
being performed in an effort to avoid paying taxes.

The director of
the Euskalduna abortion center, Roberto Lertxundi, and the head of
gynecology at the Santiago Apostol Hospital in Vitoria, Iñaki Lete,
both confirmed to Alba that the abortion statistics published annually
by the Ministry of Health do not represent the actual number of
abortions taking place in Spain, as “only a portion of these procedures
are registered” by public facilities out of fear of the fiscal
consequences.

The president of
the Spanish Society for Contraception, Ezequiel Perez Campos, also
confirmed the report in Alba, saying it was consistent with the
information provided by women who frequent abortion facilities.

Sagrario Mateu,
who heads up the Ministry of Health’s division on women and children,
said the official statistics are actually double what regional
communities report, because such communities are responsible for
collecting the data and “it is not so easy for us to demand the
statistics.” He added that in many public hospitals, abortions
are often classified as other procedures.

Ana Pastor, who
was Health Minister under the previous Popular Party government, said
that hiding the true scope of abortion takes place both in private and
public centers and that true number of abortions is distorted not only
in order to avoid paying taxes but also out of shame and embarrassment.

Alba reported
that health officials in Madrid confirmed that concealing abortion
rates at public hospitals was widespread, as hospital personnel often
strive to keep the information from doctors who object to the practice
“in order to avoid problems.”

The Association
of Abortion Victims in Spain has called on the government to
investigate the claims, saying there is sufficient evidence that the
number of women obtaining abortions may actually be double or triple
the official statistics.